Rights and Responsibilities of TTG-Ready Publishers

Rights and responsibilities

What is this page about?

This page describes the rights and responsibilities of TTG-ready publishers (TTG-RPs) who publish TTG-labeled photos, even if on an infrequent basis — especially non-contract publishers.

The “rights” are necessary to protect TTG-ready publishers.

(The TTG label can be credibly attached only by the photographer — never by a third party — yet an inappropriately labeled photo can hurt a third-party publisher.)

The “responsibilities” are necessary to reassure photographers that their TTG-labeled photos will be handled fairly.

See also What is expected of photographers

No photo publisher is ever obligated to publish anything TTG-related. Each provider is free to do whatever they choose (including ignoring TTG).

Publishers’ Rights

101. The publisher can require the photographer to agree to these terms before the TTG-labeled photo is published

The more thoroughly terms are spelled out, the more difficult it is for adherents of those terms to avoid accountability (see also FAQ #109).

It is easy for TTG-ready publishers to make submitting photographers’ agreement with these terms a condition for publishing TTG-labeled photos.

For example, “By submitting to us photos that are labeled TTG, the photographer is agreeing to the terms enumerated at ttg.photos/publishing/rights.html”
102. The publisher is always in the driver’s seat

Because their credibility depends on the validity of the photographer’s claims, TTG-ready publishers always remain in charge of deciding whether a photograph is published with the TTG label.

TTG-RPs have multiple options when they believe that a submitted photograph was inappropriately labeled TTG, and they have multiple options when they have problems with the attached name or UOI.
103. The publisher can make to a TTG-labeled photo any rinairs-driven changes from TTG’s Allowables list

The TTG-ready publisher can make any TTG-Allowable changes that the TTG-RP determines will bring the submitted photograph closer to the rinairs standards of P7 in the Trust Test.

More on this option
104. The publisher can always point to the photographer

Any TTG-ready publisher that publishes a TTG-labeled photograph may publicly point out at any time that the photographer is solely responsible for labeling a photograph as TTG — even when pointing this out could permanently damage the photographer’s reputation.
105. The publisher is never expected to check for TTG-suitability

The TTG-ready publisher is never expected to check or verify the validity of the TTG label on a photo.

That is solely the photographer’s responsibility (see #1 here).
106. The publisher is free of blame

The TTG-ready publisher is completely free of responsibility or blame if it turns out that the photographer inappropriately labeled the photograph as TTG.

• The term “inappropriately labeled” includes the photographer’s failure to use the TTG-IC version of the label when that is needed to meet P8.

• The term “inappropriately labeled” also includes the photographer’s failure to add sufficient explanation to a “TTG-IC” label when more explanation is warranted.
107. The publisher can emphasize the photographer’s role

The TTG-ready publisher is free to further emphasize (in any way it chooses) the TTG photographer’s personal accountability even though the TTG label already denotes that the photographer is standing behind the guarantee.
108. The publisher can keep photos online forever

The TTG-ready publisher may — for its own credibility — commit to having any TTG-labeled photos publicly viewable for as long as the TTG-RP’s website, platform, or app exists.

The TTG-RP is never obligated at any time to take down photos to protect the reputation of a photographer who had inappropriately applied the TTG label.

Publishers’ Responsibilities

201. The publisher will only make TTG-allowed changes to a TTG-labeled photograph

The TTG-ready publisher can only make TTG-Allowable changes that the TTG-RP determines will bring the submitted photograph closer to the rinairs standards of P7 in the Trust Test.

(See also this page, linked to #103 above)
202. The publisher will not discriminate

The TTG-ready publisher is expected to not discriminate against a particular TTG-labeled submission by leaving off its label when similar photos in the same context are published with their TTG labels.

(See #102 above for dealing with submissions that appear to have been inappropriately labeled TTG.)
203. The publisher will not mis-present the photo

The TTG-ready publisher is expected to not compromise the photograph’s TTG eligibility by misrepresenting or mis-presenting it.

This means the publisher cannot use the the plain “TTG” label when the photographer submitted the photo with a “TTG-IC” label.
204. The publisher will publish the photographer’s name or UOI as submitted

Because the “name” may be the way that the photographer wants to be known, the TTG-ready publisher is expected:

• to publish the photographer’s name or UOI as submitted;*

• to publish the photographer’s name or UOI in the same context, article, issue, or website as the labeled photograph; and

• to make the photographer’s name or UOI readily findable to viewers.

*NOTE: As explained on this page linked to #102 above, if the submitted name or UOI is offensive or problematic, the TTG-RP can exercise its right not to publish the label or even the photo.

More on TTG-ready publishers

• TTG-RPs can always publish photographers’ names separately from any “TTG” label, as might be done with a staff of news photographers, for example.

• Particularly when a photographer’s submitted name or UOI is lengthy, the TTG-RP may choose to publish that name in a smaller size than, and a different location from, the “TTG” label.

• TTG-RPs can reject any UOIs that are deemed to be excessively long.
205. The publisher will disclose deviations from this list

The TTG-ready publisher is expected to tell submitting photographers when its policies regarding TTG-labeled photos differ from the expectations listed above.